Porsche Cars North America, Inc. is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program (PTAP). Since 1999, the program has provided high-quality training and education to men and women interested in becoming a Porsche technician. By the end of this year, more than 1,000 students will have graduated from the program.
“Our technicians are the backbone of Porsche’s legacy of innovation and precision,” said Timo Resch, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating 25 years of this unique and impactful apprentice program.”
Universal Technical Institute (UTI) offers PTAP training at Porsche's training centers in Atlanta, GA -- where it originated -- as well as Easton, PA, and Eastvale, CA. The classes are limited to 12 students with one instructor. Porsche directly supports, equips and invests in the UTI PTAP program, allowing students to receive training on all of its vehicles, tools and technologies, including the 911, Boxster, Panamera, Cayman and Cayenne.
The 23-week course covers everything from essential maintenance to advanced diagnostics. After graduation, the Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program helps technicians find full-time jobs at one of the 200-plus Porsche Centers in the U.S. Most graduates are able to secure a well-paying and stable start to their career in an industry with high demand.
Jarred Fuller has worked as a full-time technician at Porsche Service Center South Atlanta since he graduated from PTAP in 2021. He also worked under the shop foreman as an apprentice while he was a student.
Fuller said he applied to PTAP because his dad had owned a couple Porsches, and he wanted to work on them. He also liked the exclusivity of the program.
"I was interested in doing the most difficult thing," Fuller said.
The training was mostly hands-on, other than some classroom instruction most mornings to learn about what they would be working on for the rest of the day.
"It builds understanding of cars in general and specifics with the Porsches a lot faster," Fuller said. "It was a lot easier to grasp things at an accelerated pace than classroom-based."
PTAP graduates are eligible for bronze certification within a year of working full time -- they only need more shop experience and to pass a test.
"Classes offered to [technicians pursuing bronze certification] aren’t every week; they may only be every three or six months or once a year, so it can take an extended amount of time to bring somebody up to speed," explained Daniel Joffe, service director at Porsche Service Center South Atlanta. "Going to PTAP is accelerated. They're getting every course Porsche would require to get bronze level."
"I gained a three- to four-year advantage by going through PTAP compared to other dealer technicians who didn’t," Fuller said. "I took the same amount of courses, but that jump has allowed me to progress through certifications at a higher rate."
Joffe said several technicians working there are PTAP graduates. In fact, he prefers them.
"If I were given five applications and one was a PTAP student, I would give that one a higher priority because they have manufacturer-specific training," Joffe said. "These are not easy cars to work on and everything is very expensive."
Abby Andrews